H.R. 390 would authorize the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to support entities that are assisting threatened members of minority groups in Iraq or Syria and entities that are seeking legal accountability for certain crimes in Iraq. The Department of State and USAID currently provide humanitarian and other assistance in Iraq and Syria that would partially meet the objectives of the bill. According to the department, that assistance generally totals between $5 million to $10 million a year (some assistance is provided annually while other assistance is one-time or provided over several years).
Based on information from the Administration about ongoing assistance, CBO expects that the department and USAID would provide small amounts of additional assistance in Iraq and Syria under the bill. Such assistance would help to build the capacity of entities in Iraq that collect and preserve evidence or that investigate, prosecute, or adjudicate genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. The funds also would assist entities in both Iraq and Syria that would be identified as working with persecuted and at-risk minority groups. Based on spending for similar programs, CBO estimates that providing additional assistance authorized under the bill and administering that assistance would require additional appropriations of $3 million a year. Assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 390 would cost $8 million over the 2017-2022 period (the remainder would be spent after 2022).
Enacting H.R. 390 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
